1994 C1500 W/T 358" 5-speed

[townsend]

Hey guys, have yet another project to occupy my life and drain my bank account. I bought a 94 1500 longbed regular cab 2wd truck for $500 from a friend. He's a VW kid and bought this to haul parts, drove it for a week, and couldnt figure out what was wrong with it. Supposedly the motor is a '70 350 block bored and stuff to make 358". I dont know how correct the "358" thing is because thats just what the previous owner told him, and quite frankly ive never heard of them. Well, the "miss" above 3000 rpm turned out to be a little more than that.

a sleeve or bushing of some sort was put into this out of shape pushrod hole on the head for the number 1 exhaust valve.
http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/tubbytownsend/2012-09-20_21-19-52_882_zpse1704e0a.jpg

this caused the pushrod to bind and not go through its normal range of motion, thus causing an awesome flattened cam lobe and trashed lifter. ill put a pic up tomorrow of the lifter.

im at the point now that im thinking of selling what i can of the motor, and buying a junkyard/running lt1 out of something, slapping a carb and distributor on it, and driving it through winter. WildBillyT made a good point in my tech thread to be concerned about all that metal that went through the rest of the motor due to the wiped lobe/destroyed lifter. i dont want to spend the little cash i have on a new cam/lifters/pushrods/gaskets/etc and put the time into a motor thats just a ticking time bomb and hear pop after a week.

basic plans: make it run and be reliableish. then lower it and put some nice wheels/tires on it. its mostly gonna be a parts hauler/daily beater so i can finally do the work to the z28 that it deserves.

[1320B4U]

305 tbi off c/l...people are practically giving them away...will bolt in and up to the slushbox w/out incident. An lt1 is nice, but if you want reliability and low budget, this is a better option.

[zraffz]

305 tbi off c/l...people are practically giving them away...will bolt in and up to the slushbox w/out incident. An lt1 is nice, but if you want reliability and low budget, this is a better option.

I have one I've been meaning to pull outta my brothers 92 camaro as well...

[townsend]

I can get a lt1 for around 500, the intake is 225 and id just have to grab a 98 5.7 vortec flywheel. More power and a roller valvetrain for a decent price. If i find a 305 for around 300 that runs ill consider it

[chrisfrom nj]

sounds like a good project i still have a lt1 intake for sale if your intrested

[WildBillyT]

You can probably get a running Gen 1 for the price of the LT1 intake.

$300 for a running 305 is too expensive.

Edit:

Post up the casting numbers... you might get lucky.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

305 tbi off c/l...people are practically giving them away...will bolt in and up to the slushbox w/out incident. An lt1 is nice, but if you want reliability and low budget, this is a better option.

Truck is a 5 spd according to the thread title and his sig.

[townsend]

Casting numbers for which motor? Even a gen 1 350 on craigslist people want 500 for. Somr 305s are goin for that too. Le sigh

[WildBillyT]

Casting numbers for which motor? Even a gen 1 350 on craigslist people want 500 for. Somr 305s are goin for that too. Le sigh

Your old one. Get the suffix code if you can.

It's not the original engine in the pickup, and some stuff in the early 70's is very desirable.

If some dumbass stuffed an original LT-1 block in that pickup then there's your new engine $. A long shot, sure, but stranger things have happened. Likewise with the heads. If they are 462 camel humps then they are worth a few bucks.

I got an "old tach" in a box of parts once, out of a beat up Dodge. Turns out it was a Stewart Warner 970, worth $400 restored, $250 as-is.

[townsend]

Woah, hope i get lucky like that hah. Im gonna yank it this weekend

[V]

I have a good 305, ran when pulled, sat indoors since 1998. Its in longblock form currently, still with balancer and flexplate. I'd take 180 for it picked up.

its centerbolt heads and said to be an '89 motor. I'll even throw in a TBI intake and TB

[townsend]

V think id be able to throw it in, put oil in it and go? Or would it need a rebuild

[townsend]

Well if you still have that 305 let me know, ill take it

[V]

PM replied

[zraffz]

Well if you still have that 305 let me know, ill take it
:facepalm:

Hate to interfere since it is yours to ultimately do whatever you want with but honestly man I would not waste my time putting a 305 in a vehicle of mine if the motor was FREE.

[townsend]

Your entitled to your opinion good sir. Ive had a few 305 vehicles and the body fell apart before i could kill it. The cutlass i had at one time was a 305 and we called it no-blow. I ran it out of oil at seaside and drove it home on a quart. Another time i drove it for two weeks without checking and the stick was dry. That motor lives on in my stepdads work truck with 225,000 and counting, never been apart. After talking to V about it its my best and cheapest option right now, i need the truck running. Then i can tear down the other motor or grab a lt1 and do something when i get laid off.

[1320B4U]

^ I agree. 350 is the choice but when cost is involved, a 305 is perfect..its a parts hauler and commuter not a saturday night cruiser...set of headers and it sounds great and still money in your pocket.

[townsend]

^ yup. i just want it to run and be driveable. then ill send the other paperweight to the machine shop (chucks auto machine shop) around the corner and have him tell me what he honestly thinks about fixing it, etc. if its more than the cost of finding a lt1, installing a hotcam and carbing it, then it becomes my father inlaws motor that he can get built for the nova. he has the funds for a motor build, i do not. im not trying to build some monster pick-up. i mean a honda here a acura there would be funny, but thats why i own a camaro, for that type of fun.

also doesnt account for the fact i enjoy being different with anything. zraffz please see the following article:http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/articles/chevrolet/0667_phrs_305_chevy_engine_blocks/engine_testing.html

that would be fun to build, but with a little better cam since hopefully its a roller block

[NJ Torque]

ive got a 305 thats priced to move too...

[townsend]

Just pulled the block casting number off the one currently in the truck: 80-85 350 4-bolt main. Facepalm....

[townsend]

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/tubbytownsend/2012-11-29_17-58-10_695.jpg

Well the camaro is broke so i have no choice but to fix this. I pulled the old cam last nite and it had only one trashed lobe. I ordered a summit cam and lifter kit for 90 bux, so if it burns it up, i really wont care. Then the truck gets scrapped and i rush to fix the camaro. This is alot cheaper to try first though. I also pulled the pan and didnt find any debris really. It looks as though the lifter basically cooked to the cam.

Question about roller tip rockers on stock valves. I see on a few of the valve tips that the rocker kinda wore it too much. Theres no real centered wear pattern on them. I have to get a pushrod length checkermagecker and see whats up. It has comp hi-energy stock length pushrods and i think they are too long. Should roller tips be used on stock valves? Should i get lash caps?

[WildBillyT]

$100 says the past owner ran the wrong oil

[townsend]

Actually i just called him. I said "did you do a oil change when you got it? Yeah man mobil 1 10w30. Did you put the zinc additive in. Whats that? :punchselfinface: how long after that did it start not running right? Like 40 miles. Oh....."

Yeah so i hope nothing else got damaged that i cant see. Im breakin it in with straight 30wt break-in oil, then switching to valvoline vr-1 race oil since it has the zinc and is sold at the one store by me.

[WildBillyT]

Actually i just called him. I said "did you do a oil change when you got it? Yeah man mobil 1 10w30. Did you put the zinc additive in. Whats that? :punchselfinface: how long after that did it start not running right? Like 40 miles. Oh....."

Yeah so i hope nothing else got damaged that i cant see. Im breakin it in with straight 30wt break-in oil, then switching to valvoline vr-1 race oil since it has the zinc and is sold at the one store by me.

I knew it!



FWIW I've got leftover comp break in oil if you are interested. VR1 is sold at NAPAs, and each year in the spring they run a 50% off per case promotion.

-B

[BonzoHansen]

so is not OE 94 motor with roller lifters?

[townsend]

No it was a 6 cyl swapped to a 80-85 350. Had some flat-tappet baby cam in it. Comp hi energy pushrods comp magnum 1.52 stamped rollertip rockers, some old school m/t valvecovers, a weiand intake and a edelbrock 600 carb.

Now it will have summit 1103 cam, summit street strip intake and carb and hei from nova since thats gonna get a crate. Father-inlaw wont sell me the original nova motor, hes bagging it and putting it away incase he ever sells it.

[townsend]

Bill thanks for the heads up. I may take that oil from you if i dont have to buy pushrods. Money is tight.

Anybody have a good break in procedure for a flat tappet mill? My concern is do i dump the oil after the 20 minute run, then do another at 500 miles? Or should i do something else?

[WildBillyT]

I dumped the oil afterward and replaced it with VR1. Do you have an oil pressure gauge?

I dunno how far you took the engine down (or how you cleaned it), but given that it had cam shavings in it I'd drain it right away.

[townsend]

Yes i have a pressure gauge. I pulled the pan and vacuumed out/blew out everything from the top down

[townsend]

so i tore the motor down and found a gear drive, and a cam marked 434 lift......interesting.....

[townsend]

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/tubbytownsend/319531_10151189176437426_1078534942_n.jpg

http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/tubbytownsend/374461_10151189176852426_967712027_n.jpg

the culprit lobe:
http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/tubbytownsend/381628_10151189176237426_215886532_n.jpg

[The_Bishop]

The lobe next to it is damaged as well. In fact, that looks like it's been run on a flattened cam lobe for a long time.

Consider roller, if you can. It might cost more up front but you won't need to hunt for special oil or additives.

[townsend]

ill run the flat tappet. if i go roller im goin with a lt1 block. its wierd though. i pulled the main caps that were easy and saw no scoring in the bearings, they actually looked great. i also looked at all the cam bearings with my inspection camera and they had no scoring. i had no metal in the motor really. my 94 camaro has more metal on oil changes.....its really wierd. unless someone put a used cam in it maybe....

this motor has my father inlaw and i scratching our heads more than anything. it just keeps giving us suprises

[townsend]

i ordered the bigger cam, i forgot to switch it from the summit 1104 to the 1103...whoops! yeah well, i like the sound of it. i found a vid of someone with it haha. to the garage!

[townsend]

Break in went good. Now trying to make it run at idle etc. Sucks. If i hook up the vac advance at idle it flies up to 2k. I can only get 6 degrees initial since i dont have enough rotation on the dizzy since the vacuum line for the brakes is in the way. Le sigh

[zraffz]

Break in went good. Now trying to make it run at idle etc. Sucks. If i hook up the vac advance at idle it flies up to 2k. I can only get 6 degrees initial since i dont have enough rotation on the dizzy since the vacuum line for the brakes is in the way. Le sigh

Reseat the distributor? Pointing towards cylinder 1 is just for the ease of things. As long as the rotor points to #1 on the cap, the rest doesn't really matter. Otherwise buy a fancy ignition box and due away with the vacuum advance completely :lol:

[WildBillyT]

Reseat the distributor? Pointing towards cylinder 1 is just for the ease of things. As long as the rotor points to #1 on the cap, the rest doesn't really matter. Otherwise buy a fancy ignition box and due away with the vacuum advance completely :lol:

Which box does that? Not common msd or mallory ones.

I think his issue is that the distributor won't physically spin that far. Just unhook and plug some stuff if you have to.

[zraffz]

Which box does that? Not common msd or mallory ones.

I think his issue is that the distributor won't physically spin that far. Just unhook and plug some stuff if you have to.

MSD does make a semi-common spin off of there 6AL/6AL2 boxes that are tuned using a laptop. For the amount of features it has I'd consider the $360 price tag pretty good.

Advanced PC programming for use on street/strip and track cars
PC Programmable with easy-to-use Windows based Pro-Data +Software
Plot a timing curve based on boost pressure down to a 0.1° every 100 rpm
Program three rev limits in 100 rpm increments
Step retard for nitrous applications plus a boost timing map
Capacitive Discharge technology for high voltage and spark energy

http://www.msdignition.com/Products/Ignitions/6530_-_MSD_Digital_Programmable_6AL-2.aspx

And I understand what he was saying with his advanced hitting the brakes/firewall. Correct me if I'm wrong, as long as you are at TDC you can seat the distributor any which way that you want regardless of where it points. You can even go as far as to switch the position of the #1 terminal on the cap as long as your rotor is pointed to that terminal.

He can go back to TDC, spin the distributor a bit and reseat it so it clears whatever he is hitting. It's just good measurement to point at #1 during TDC so you have an idea of when you are at TDC easier but isn't mandatory.

[townsend]

im just gonna move the wires to the next terminal over all the way around and reset initial timing. we did it on the nova too. as long as your at tdc you can make #1 whatever you want, and just follow the normal firing order. two things:

one, i used mr gasket ultraseal gaskets for the "great" commander intake and the "seal ports" didnt line up in correlation to the gasket/intake. the intake physically sits a little lower than the head. the gaskets lined up with the heads/bolt holes no problem...hmmm.

two, i hate that gear drive. it screams on cold start for a second. to the point that i dropped the oil pan and pulled the timing cover to see if i screwed it up somehow. it rides in the exact same spots as before on the timing cover. so whatevs.

now fighting a losing battle with the clutch hydros. didnt know it at the time, the kid i got it from replaced the master and line but not the slave cylinder. go to put the truck in reverse, giant grinding. finally get it into reverse, idles back like a automatic with the clutch fully depressed. BIG STREAK of hydro fluid on the ground dripping out of bellhousing from slave. fml

[townsend]

update: slave fixed and bled. it shifts perfect now. carb finally is set up. timing is finally right (just reset dizzy and moved one pin counterclockwise on all the wires on cap). took 3" exhaust from my camaro, two strategic cuts, a stick welder, and some music to make a single 3" side exit. thing sounds great and runs just as nice.

[townsend]

update: nova parts have been put on the truck now. the hei i had didnt hit full advance until 4200rpm, the edelbrock carb was leaking by like hell, and the holley contender intake sucked. now i have the summit 600cfm carb and stage 2 intake along with the brandynew hei from the nova and finally got everything dialed in. where its at half throttle now was floored before. quick starts, no funny idling, etc.

[townsend]

truck was traded for my 94z back